Alex rang the bell at Lia’s apartment at 7:00 on the dot. To her surprise, she found herself nervous. Alex couldn’t remember the last time a date made her nervous. She rolled her shoulders a couple of times and tried to shake it off.
When Lia opened the door, her nerves were promptly replaced with a shot of pure lust. Lia’s hair was swept up into some sort of twist, but there were bits that had escaped to curl softly around her face. She wore a black dress that revealed a tantalizing hint of cleavage. It was a deceptively simple cut, seemingly to simultaneously hug every single one of her curves while flowing and falling almost modestly to a hem right above her knees.
Alex swallowed and tried not to be obvious. “You look fabulous.”
“Thank you, and likewise.”
“Thanks. We’re going to drive since we’re heading to the East End, but you’ll want a coat anyway. It’ll be in the twenties by the time we’re done with dinner.”
The last thing Alex wanted Lia to do was cover up, but it would only be for a little while. She wanted Lia to shiver, but not from cold.
“I’ve got one right here.” Lia took a coat from a hook by the door and slipped it on. “So, where is it we’re going?”
“A surprise. It’s a little out of the way place, a favorite of P-town’s old literary set.”
Lia picked up her purse. “You had me at ‘out of the way.’”
Ciro and Sal’s was indeed out of the way, at least from Lia’s daily routine of walking between her apartment and the café. The sign on the street was small and unobtrusive, the entrance down a narrow gravel driveway. The inside was warm and dimly lit. Exposed brick walls and wine barrels made the entire restaurant feel like an old wine cellar. Candles and Chianti bottles sat on every table.
They were shown to a small table against one of the walls. The dining room was by no means full, but there were couples and small groups at more than a few tables. Lia took her seat and looked around.
“How is it I never knew this place existed?”
Alex smiled at her. “How many times have you been to Provincetown?”
Lia thought for a moment. “Four or five. My ex and I came here for a few days every other summer or so.”
“Well, it’s not completely hidden from tourists, but it is past most of the galleries, so you aren’t likely to happen upon it. And it’s definitely not one of the hot spots, if you know what I mean.”
Lia nodded. Dani leaned toward the trendy, the exclusive. She’d never pick something so old school. “I do.”
They shared an order of bruschetta and an arugula salad with capers and lemon. When their main courses arrived, Alex glanced over at Lia’s capellini with tomatoes and mussels.
“I have entree envy.”
Lia laughed, feeling ridiculously charmed. “I’ll share. As long as I can try yours, too.”
Alex cut off a bite of her chicken and held the fork out. “As a gesture of good faith, you get the first bite.”
*
In Alex’s car, there was jazz playing. Low and languid, the saxophone and trumpet made Lia think of the hot, humid nights she spent lying outside looking at the stars and thinking about the girls she wanted to kiss. Despite the chill outside, the air in the car felt warm and thick.
Lia indulged herself in a long, slow look at Alex while she drove. She was wearing black pants and a French blue button-down, a charcoal gray pea coat, black boots. Lia tried to study the cuff links she’d noticed at the restaurant, but it was too dim. She thought you could learn a lot about a person based on the cuff links they wore, not to mention the fact that they wore cuff links in the first place. It seemed like the more she learned, the more she liked.
There was no denying the physical attraction. Lia felt it the day they met. She felt it the next day and the day after; she felt it when she was near Alex and when she was alone. More than once, Lia had skimmed her hands over her skin when she was in bed, or the bath. She touched herself while imagining Alex’s hands, Alex’s mouth, on her body. Thinking of that now, Lia couldn’t help but to squirm, relishing the sexual tension that had eluded her for so many months. She wondered if the feeling was mutual.
She tried to conjure Sally’s words of encouragement. That dinner had most definitely been a date. There was nothing wrong with letting the attraction play out. She didn’t have to throw herself at Alex. She just had to make it clear the door was open. Doing so had never been a decision she’d made consciously. It felt both empowering and terrifying.
The drive was, once again, a short one. Alex pulled her car up behind Lia’s and put it into park. Before she could stop herself, Lia heard herself inviting Alex in. “Can I interest you in a nightcap?”
If she was surprised by the invitation, Alex showed no sign of it. Lia tried to tamp down the flutter of anxiety that appeared in her belly. It was fine. People did this all the time.
“You most certainly can.”
See? All the time. Lia unlocked the door and stepped inside, holding it open for Alex to follow her. She flipped on the lights in the kitchen and set down her purse. She draped both of their coats over the wingback chair heading into the living room.
“I haven’t stocked a full bar, but I have a Cabernet, a Chardonnay, and bourbon.”
“Bourbon?” Alex raised an eyebrow. “A woman after my own heart. I’d love a nip of bourbon.”
“On the rocks or neat?”
“When it’s cold, always neat.”
“Now you’re a woman after my own heart.” Alex made the conversation easy, but still, Lia was grateful to have something to do. She poured a couple fingers of Maker’s into each of a pair of highball glasses. She walked over to Alex, handed her one, and motioned to the couch. “Shall we?”
They sat and sipped. Alex looked around. “This really is a great place. It has a lot of character for a rental.”
Lia couldn’t decide if Alex was nervous or just trying to help Lia relax. Or maybe this was the kind of conversation two people had before having sex. She willed herself to calm down and play along, see where things went. “Right? It’s funny, but when I saw this room with all the bookshelves, I was hooked. I figured it’s always good to be surrounded by books, even if they aren’t mine.”
Alex laughed. “Spoken like a true English major.”
Lia caught herself fidgeting and made a point of keeping her hands still. She fought the urge to think about what she should do, what signals she should try to send. The bourbon, after the wine with dinner, made it a little bit easier for her to quiet that usually overactive part of her mind. Of course, Alex seemed perfectly at ease. She’d probably done this before. Lia reminded herself that was exactly what she wanted—not a relationship, not a negotiation, just a night with an attractive, engaging, unattached woman.
She put her hand on Alex’s arm when she talked. She curled one foot under her and leaned in to listen. She tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and made eye contact. Although she couldn’t bring herself to make the first move, she sent all the signals she could.
Lia looked down and realized that Alex’s hand was on her leg. It was a really great hand, strong from all the hours of kneading and shaping dough. It was a little rough, but impeccably clean. She had a thing for hands, and it was so easy for her to imagine how Alex’s would feel on her, inside of her. She drained the last of her bourbon and set the glass on the coffee table.
It must have been the opening Alex was waiting for. She set aside her own glass and leaned in very close. About six inches away from her, Alex paused, as though waiting for permission to proceed. Lia swallowed in anticipation.
Alex’s lips were on hers. They were firm and soft at the same time; they were warm and tasted faintly of bourbon. Lia’s body, like a slingshot pulled as tight as it could go, snapped alive. Her blood raced through her veins and her skin grew hot. She felt herself grow wet. There was an immediacy, an intensity, in her desire that she’d never experienced before. It was scary and exhilarating at the same time and she wanted more of it.
Lia slipped her hand to the back of Alex’s neck and into her hair. Her other hand went around Alex’s waist, trying to bring her closer. She felt Alex grasp at the clip holding her hair and then felt it fall loose. Alex’s hands were tugging at it gently, tilting Lia’s head back and exposing her neck. Alex’s lips moved to her jawline, down her neck.
Lia arched her back. Her breasts were throbbing, desperate to be touched. Alex obliged, tracing her lips down the neckline of Lia’s dress and running her hand up Lia’s side to cup her breast. Alex bit at her nipple through the fabric. Lia, growing desperate, heard herself saying Alex’s name, along with “yes” and “please,” over and over.
In one swift, skilled move, Alex shifted and Lia found herself lying on the couch with Alex over her. She felt Alex’s belt buckle press into her hip, Alex’s thigh nestled between her own. The reality of what she was doing hit Lia suddenly. It felt like she’d just gone screaming past the point of no return.
Alex’s body tensed, as though she sensed Lia’s hesitation. She pulled back and looked at Lia. “You okay?”
Lia struggled to find words. “I…uh…mmm hmm.”
Alex continued to look at her intently. “Are you sure? Because we can stop. I don’t want you to feel pressured.”
She didn’t have to do it. Alex had given her an out. Knowing that made Lia realize just how much she didn’t want Alex to stop. “I don’t. Feel pressured, I mean. I don’t want you to stop. Please don’t stop.”
Alex smiled and kissed her again, more slowly than before. She moved her free hand to Lia’s leg, starting at her ankle and running it up to her knee and under the hem of her dress. As her hand slid higher, Lia felt her fingertips graze the top of her stockings, the clasp of her garter belt.
The hand froze and Lia felt a stab of panic. Was it too much? Too girly? Too straight? When Alex leaned away, she feared she’d managed to turn Alex completely off.
Alex slid the hem of her dress up, exposing Lia’s leg. After what felt like an eternity, she tore her gaze away and locked eyes with Lia. “You are gorgeous.”
The relief was palpable, and the hunger she saw in Alex’s eyes made her suddenly glad she’d opted for the garters. She blushed and resisted the desire to cover herself. Instead, she smiled, ready to let herself be devoured.
Alex untied her dress and spread it open. After trailing kisses across her breasts and down her belly, Alex ran her tongue up and under each garter while her hands kneaded Lia’s buttocks. Lia’s hips continued to move, lifting and pressing against Alex’s touch. Lia felt Alex’s fingers slide up the seam of her panties. She’d soaked them through and Alex knew it.
With tortuously slow deliberation, Alex unhooked each of the garters. When Alex leaned back, Lia whimpered. Alex removed her shoes, then slowly slid the stockings down her legs. Her skin felt so hot; she thought she might burst into flames right there on the sofa. Alex trailed her fingers from ankle to thigh. She hooked her fingers into the waist of Lia’s panties and inched them down.
Lia lifted her hips, desperate to have Alex on her, inside of her. When she feared she might be on the verge of begging, Alex’s tongue found her, pushing her over the edge. Lia thought she called out Alex’s name, but she couldn’t be sure. The orgasm ripped through her hard and quick. It left her breathless and aching for more.
Lia tried to catch her breath, to bring her vision and her thoughts into some semblance of focus. Alex, who had paused briefly while her muscles shuddered and clenched, resumed making slow circles with her tongue. She traced around and around, avoiding the hyper-sensitive tip. It was exquisite torture. Lia began to squeeze her muscles, feeling the pressure start to build again.
Alex slid a finger into her, and then a second. It was almost more than Lia could take. She was so wet, Alex’s fingers slid in and out of her effortlessly, but she could feel the roughness of Alex’s skin with each thrust. Her body clasped around Alex, trying to pull her deeper inside. She could feel Alex’s knuckles pushing against the outside of her. All the while, her tongue continued its rhythmic circles.
Lia desperately wanted to come, but was also desperate to hold on to this feeling. She had a fleeting thought that it had never been like this with Dani, or with anyone else. She then found herself unable to think at all. The pleasure became so intense that she was powerless to hold back any longer. She came and the orgasm washed over her again and again. This time, Lia heard herself cry out. Then she felt Alex’s body covering the length of her, holding her close.
Although her limbs felt like jelly, Lia needed to touch, to feel, to taste Alex. She untucked Alex’s shirt and ran her fingernails lightly up and down her back. Alex moaned softly in her ear, making Lia smile. She nudged herself up and Alex responded, pulling back and letting herself be guided to a sitting position on the couch.
Lia slid her dress the rest of the way off. She straddled Alex and began unbuttoning her shirt. With each button, Lia bent to taste the newly exposed skin. It felt hot against her lips and tasted faintly of salt. Alex’s fingers dug into her hips.
When she was done with the buttons, Lia eased her way off of Alex’s lap and onto the floor. Kneeling between Alex’s thighs, Lia undid her belt and the button of her pants. As she slid the zipper down, Lia looked up. Alex’s eyes were dark with desire and fixed on her. Without breaking the gaze, Lia grasped the waistband of Alex’s pants and started tugging them down. Alex lifted her hips and Lia quickly worked both Alex’s pants and black boxer briefs down her legs.
They seemed to be stuck and she realized Alex was still wearing shoes. She had to lean back to pull them off, causing Alex to chuckle. With the shoes successfully discarded, Lia finished removing Alex’s pants. Starting at the knees, she began kissing her way up Alex’s thighs, one and then the other, barely skimming her lips across her labia each time.
Alex adjusted herself, opening her legs a little wider. Looking up again, Lia locked eyes with her as she wrapped her lips around Alex’s swollen clit. The taste, the feel of her was overwhelming. Lia felt intoxicated. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to revel in it.
Lia teased her with long, slow strokes, up one side and down the other. She dipped her tongue in and felt Alex clench around her. When Alex grabbed her head, Lia began to work Alex up and down, sucking and licking her. Alex bunched Lia’s hair in her fists. Lia could feel her getting close, the way the muscles in her thighs began to quiver. She resisted the urge to speed up, keeping her rhythm equal to the thrust of Alex’s hips.
When Alex came, Lia felt the heat pour out of her. She felt sexy, powerful. She eased back and looked up at Alex’s face. Alex looked slightly drugged, which Lia took as a good sign.
Alex ran her fingers through Lia’s hair, cupped her cheek in her hand. “That was amazing.”
“Thanks. You, too.”
The gnawing feelings of inadequacy that had been plaguing Lia for months evaporated. It was exhilarating, almost as exhilarating as the post-orgasmic glow. She knew it was late, but she desperately didn’t want the night to end. Trying to keep her tone light, she asked, “Is it okay if I don’t want you to leave?”
Alex flashed a grin. “Not at all. In fact, I was hoping you might ask. Give me one minute.”
Lia watched Alex extricate herself from the couch and fish her phone out of her coat pocket. “What are you doing?”
“I just need to text Jeff and ask him to go let Murphy out.”
“He won’t mind?”
“Let’s just say we have a friendly arrangement. And I’ve taken care of his French bulldogs far more often than he’s taken care of Murphy.”
“How convenient.” Lia laughed, and tried not to think about the fact that such an arrangement had clearly been around for a while.
Alex sent a text, then returned to where Lia was sitting. “Take me to bed?”
This was what mattered. Tonight, at least, there was a gorgeous woman who made her feel amazing and wanted to be with her. It was enough. Lia took Alex’s outstretched hand. Leaving their clothes scattered around the room, she led the way upstairs.